There are many theories about whether or not the world will end in 2012. A brief survey will help guide the curious reader to their own areas of interest. First, there are many books proclaiming that the world will definitely end in 2012. Various causes and predictions are brought to bear on the argument, from asteroids to earthquakes to pole shifts. A cataclysmic scenario cannot be eliminated for 2012.

One should be wary, however, that the authors of these books capitalise on a doomsday marketing hook to sell books. They are betting that people are already so nihilistic and pessimistic about life, that if they put out books that reinforce preconceived expectations, they’ll make lots of cash. Unfortunately, this formula will probably not change much in the next few years. But discerning readers who want to go deeper into the profound questions raised by 2012 have other options.

We should always remember that 2012 is, first and foremost, an artefact of the ancient Maya calendar tradition. The Maya themselves emphasised transformation and renewal during cycle endings, suggesting that catastrophe theorists are stopping short of the big picture, and we must meditate more deeply on what catastrophe and transformation really mean.